Donnie Yee Oral History

Donnie Yee, a cousin of Tommy Chung, was born November 10, 1930 in China, but moved to Santa Barbara as a child. He quickly got involved in local sports leagues, participating in baseball, track, and football. Donnie fought in the Korean War as a US Marine, attaining a Sergeant ranking with the 1^st Marine Division. After the war, he supported the armed forces by rarely being seen without Marine garb, whether a sweatshirt or a hat. From 1954 to 1991 he worked for the Boys Club of Santa Barbara (now the Boys and Girls Club), using his sports background to help local kids get involved in their community. He passed away on January 17, 2011; the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation is grateful to him sharing his memories and is pleased to share them with future generations.  

Above Photo: Donnie in his standard military garb. 

Clip 1: Raised by a single mother, Donnie shares how she worked with the support of the community to raise him.

Clip 2: Donnie describes taking Cantonese classes to integrate with the Chinese community.

*To hear the entire oral history interview or additional clips, please make an appointment with the Presidio Research Center at (805) 966-5073.